Blood test for 10 cancers enters large-scale trial stage in UK, backed by Proteotype and NHS

The MODERNISED trial, a pivotal clinical study led by the University of Southampton in collaboration with Proteotype Diagnostics Ltd, has reached a significant milestone with over 450 patients now enrolled in its evaluation of ENLIGHTEN—a novel blood test designed to detect up to 10 cancers at their earliest stages. Unlike conventional multi-cancer early detection (MCED) tests that focus on circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA), ENLIGHTEN leverages an advanced proteomic technique that measures optical signals from proteins, allowing for detection even when tumors are too small to release measurable DNA.

This milestone advances the UK’s efforts in reshaping cancer diagnostics through precision proteomics. The trial, funded by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the Office for Life Sciences, aims to recruit 1,000 newly diagnosed NHS cancer patients and an additional 350 volunteers, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, across five NHS hospital sites.

How ENLIGHTEN is changing cancer detection

ENLIGHTEN, developed by Proteotype Diagnostics, measures colored light signatures emitted by blood proteins that may reflect early immune responses or biochemical changes associated with the onset of cancer. This mechanism differs substantially from existing MCED platforms, such as those pioneered by GRAIL or Freenome, which analyze ctDNA methylation or fragmentation patterns.

Dr. Emma Yates, co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer at Proteotype, stated that earlier pilot studies have shown promising sensitivity and specificity rates for ENLIGHTEN in detecting early-stage cancers. The MODERNISED trial will serve as the first rigorous test of its clinical validity and scalability within a real-world NHS setting.

Professor Andy Davies, Chief Investigator of MODERNISED and Director of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (a joint initiative of Cancer Research UK and NIHR), emphasized that many early-stage cancers shed insufficient ctDNA to be picked up by standard liquid biopsies. ENLIGHTEN could potentially capture cancer-related molecular changes before such DNA becomes detectable, thereby broadening early detection capabilities.

Dr. Victoria Goss, Head of Early Diagnosis Research at Southampton Clinical Trials Unit (SCTU), added that ENLIGHTEN’s pan-cancer approach may support a future clinical scenario where multiple cancers are ruled in or out with a single blood draw—a substantial shift from today’s single-cancer screening protocols.

The clinical and economic case for early detection

Each year, approximately 385,000 individuals are diagnosed with cancer in the UK. Yet, national screening efforts remain limited to breast, bowel, cervical, and lung cancers, and are often constrained by age and risk factor eligibility. Many other cancers, including pancreatic, ovarian, and esophageal, lack formal screening and tend to present at more advanced stages.

Proteotype’s ENLIGHTEN trial targets this systemic gap. If validated, ENLIGHTEN could substantially reduce late-stage diagnoses, which account for over 50% of cancer-related deaths, by offering a minimally invasive tool for primary care triage or population screening.

The economic benefits of early detection are also well established. Treating late-stage cancer is considerably more expensive—costs rise by 2–4x across multiple tumor types—compared to early-stage intervention. In a 2023 Cancer Research UK white paper, analysts projected that early diagnosis strategies could save the NHS £210 million annually by 2030, provided scalable, accurate detection tools emerge.

Patient stories emphasize urgency and promise

For patients like Ian Robinson, 72, who was diagnosed with colorectal cancer through routine NHS screening despite no symptoms, participation in MODERNISED is not just personal—it’s about shaping a more proactive future.

Ian Dickerson, another participant who battled two early-stage cancers, reinforced the emotional and clinical stakes. Diagnosed in time to avoid chemotherapy or radiation, Ian’s story highlights the transformative potential of earlier diagnoses in minimizing treatment burden and preserving quality of life.

“When you’re told that you have cancer, the bottom drops out of your world,” said Dickerson. “But I’ve been very lucky. Because of my early diagnosis I have not had to have chemotherapy or radiotherapy. If you can get that early diagnosis and get that treatment, hopefully minimal treatment, then life can carry on.”

Why MODERNISED matters for the diagnostic ecosystem

The MODERNISED study is not operating in a vacuum. It forms part of a broader trend in which public-private partnerships are accelerating early cancer detection research across the globe. In the United States, companies like Exact Sciences (NASDAQ: EXAS), Guardant Health (NASDAQ: GH), and GRAIL (a subsidiary of Illumina) are developing or piloting multi-cancer blood tests. Yet, many remain limited by ctDNA’s performance in early-stage or low-shedding cancers.

ENLIGHTEN may have a strategic edge in bypassing this molecular blind spot by focusing on proteomic and immunological responses—potentially enabling earlier signal detection in cancers such as ovarian, bile duct, and pancreatic, which are notoriously hard to catch early.

Additionally, ENLIGHTEN’s trial deployment through the NHS lends it operational credibility. If successful, it may integrate more seamlessly into existing workflows compared to private diagnostics firms requiring bespoke or subscription-based platforms.

Analyst sentiment and institutional response

While Proteotype Diagnostics is a private company, analysts tracking the diagnostics and oncology pipeline note increasing venture interest in proteomics-led approaches. Several large healthcare-focused funds have flagged proteomics as a strategic growth area for 2025–2028, particularly as AI and cloud technologies enhance protein signal deconvolution at scale.

Government involvement from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology adds further institutional weight. Observers expect MODERNISED’s success to inform future regulatory and reimbursement policies under the UK’s Accelerated Access Collaborative and Cancer Moonshot-style innovation schemes.

Sentiment from early-stage investors and NHS clinicians appears cautiously optimistic. The feasibility of enrolling over 450 participants within months has been viewed as a positive signal of demand and operational alignment. If ENLIGHTEN’s performance holds across 1,350 participants, it could pave the way for formal evaluation by NICE and broader health economics modeling.

What comes next for ENLIGHTEN and Proteotype

With more than 850 additional participants to enroll, the MODERNISED trial is now shifting into its second operational phase. Proteotype Diagnostics will be refining test processing pipelines, working with SCTU to ensure protocol fidelity, and preparing for potential submissions to the MHRA and NICE should the data meet efficacy thresholds.

Proteotype’s roadmap appears well-aligned with broader EU and UK diagnostics acceleration agendas. Future initiatives could include a follow-on study in asymptomatic populations or longitudinal studies to assess how ENLIGHTEN performs over time in identifying preclinical signals.

Experts also anticipate that if the test proves successful, Proteotype could pursue CE-IVD designation under the EU IVDR framework or expand commercial discussions with diagnostics labs across North America and Asia-Pacific.

The company has not disclosed whether ENLIGHTEN will be licensed for use by diagnostic labs or offered as a centralized test service, but stakeholders expect further business model clarity in late 2025, pending interim data readouts.